Washing agents containing a textile softener and process of washing and softening textiles

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a process for washing and softening of textiles with the use of washing liquors with a definite content of (1) anionic and, optionally, nonionic tensides, (2) the adduct of 1 to 3 mols of a lower alkylene oxide, particularly ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide, to an N-alkylated-alkanediamine with 2 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkane and an aliphatic hydrocarbon with 8 to 24 carbon atoms in the N-alkylated moiety, as a textile softener, and (3) builders, and agents for the performance of the process.

United States Patent [191 Eckert et al.

1 1 July 29, 1975 WASHING AGENTS CONTAINING A TEXTILE SOFTENER AND PROCESS OF WASHING AND SOFTENING TEXTILES [75] Inventors: Hans-Werner Eckert, Dusseldorf;

- I-Ians-Jiirgen Lehmann, Mettmann.

both of Germany [.73] Assignee: I-Ienkel & Cie GmbI-I, Dusseldorf,

Germany [22] Filed: Nov. 2, I972 [21] Appl. No.: 303,274

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 22, 1971 Germany 2157785 [52] U.S. Cl. 252/8.75; 252/110; 252/121; 252/102; 252/D1G. 11; 252/529; 252/548 [51] Int. Cl D06m 11/00 [58] Field of Search 252/8.75, 8.8, 525, 544. 252/110, 121, 545, 547, 548,102, DIG. 11, 529

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,398,198 8/1968 Kersnar et a1. 252/548 X 3,515,673 6/1970 Kersnar et a1. 252/548 X 3.535.378 10/1970 Cross ct a1. 252/548 X 3.549.543 12/1970 Kirstahlar et a1. 252/548 3.697.423 10/1972 Sundhy ct a1. 2. 2/88 Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Lechert, Jr. Attorney, Ageni, or Firm-Hammond & Littell [57] ABSTRACT 23 Claims, No Drawings WASHING AGENTS CONTAINING A TEXTILE SOFTENER AND PROCESS OF WASHING AND SOFTENING TEXTILES THE PRIOR ART After drying washed textiles, especially those of cotton, linen or similar cellulose fibers, a distinct harshening of the handle is to be noted especially when these textiles have been washed in drum washing machines and, in addition, their properties of use are undesirably changed. This phenomenon is particularly unpleasant in the case of laundered articles which come in contact with human skin during use, particularly underwear, bed linen and towels. In addition, considerable value is also attached to a pleasant handle in the case of other laundered articles such as, for example, table linen.

It is known that this undesired harshening of the handle can be reversed by after-treatment of the laundered goods with a softening rinsing agent, that contains essentially quaternary ammonium compounds with two long-chain aliphatic residues in the molecule. As this means an additional operation in the practice, numerous proposals have been made, in which the textile softening agent is directly added to the washing agent. Hereby predominantly quaternary ammonium salts of the named type were used. Since such quaternary ammonium-salts are notoriously incompatible with anionic detergent substances, particularly with alkylbenzene sulfonates, an addition of quaternary ammonium salts to conventional washing agents, mostly containing anionic tensides, is, however, without practical importance.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is the development of textile softeners which are substantive and compatible with neutral to alkaline textile washing agents and processes of utilizing the same in the washing of textiles with anionic detergent substances in a one-step washing process.

Another object of the present invention is the development of a one-step process for the washing and softening of textiles which consists essentially of immersing soiled textiles in an aqueous, softening, washing liquor bath at temperatures of from to 100C for a time sufficient to clean and soften said textiles and recovering said cleaned and softened textiles, said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath containing (1) from 0.2 to L5 gm/liter ofa tenside component consisting of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps and optionally non-ionic surface-active compounds; (2) from 0.05 to 1.2 gm/liter of a softener component alkylenediamine of the formula:

wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon 'atoms and mixtures thereof, and R is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkylene oxide; (3) from 0.2 to 6.0 gm/liter of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of said washing liquor bath is 7 or over; and (4) from 0 to 2.5 gm/liter of any one of the following customary components of washing liquor baths: (a) soil suspension agents, (b) foam regulators, (c) bleach components, (d) enzymes, (e) optical brighteners and (f) anti-microbial agents.

A yet further object of the present invention is the development of a detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 5 to by weight ofa mixture of a surfaceactive component consisting essentially of:

1. from 50 to 80% by weight ofa tenside component consisting of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to l8 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps, and optionally non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 20 to 50% by weight of a softener component alkylenediamine of the formula:

wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and R is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from I to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkylene oxide.

3. from O to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors, and

4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers;

B. from 20 to by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a l% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and

C. from 0 to 40% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositions; (a) soil suspension agents (b) enzymes, (c) optical brighteners, (d) antimicrobial agents, (e) bleach components, (f) perfumes and dyes, and (g) water;

with the proviso that the amount of said softener component in said detergent composition is from 2 to 20% by weight.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The above drawbacks of the prior art have been overcome and the above objects have been achieved by the present invention, enabling the use of textile softening agents in the presence of anionic tensides and to wash and soften laundry, or to prevent its hardening, in one operation.

It has now been found, that reaction products of from I to 3 mols of a lower alkylene oxide, preferably ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide with 1 mol of an alkylenediamine having 2 to 6, preferably 2 to 3 carbon atoms, said diamine being mono-N-substituted with an aliphatic hydrocarbon having 8 to 24, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, are suitable as textile softening agents under the conditions of the conventional washing bath, particularly in the presence of anionic tensides.

The process for washing and softening of textiles is carried out with the use of washing liquors, that contain anionic tensides and a textile softening agent, by treating the goods to be laundered, at a liquor temperature of 20 to C in a known manner, and it is characterized in, that the washing liquors contain the following washin agent components:

a. from 0.2 to 1.5 gm/liter of a tenside component. consisting substantially of anionic tensides of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type with preferably 8 to l8 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps and, optionally nonionic tensides,

b. from 0.05 to 1.2 gm/liter of an alkylenediamine of the formula R NH R NH- with 8 to 24, particularly 12 to l8 carbon atoms in the R and with 2 to 6, particularly 2 to 3 carbon atoms in the R, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkylene oxide, preferably ethylene oxide or propylene oxide, serving as a textile softening agent, with the proviso that the amount of tenside component is equal to or larger than the amount of textile softening agent,

c. from 0.2 to 6.0 gm/liter of builders, whereby at least part of the builders react alkaline,

d. from 0.0 to 2.5 gm/liter of other customary ingredients of washing liquors from the group of soil suspension agents, foam regulators, bleach components, enzymes, optical brighteners, anti-microbial active substances, etc.

The reaction products to be used according to the present invention, subsequently called alkoxylation products, are known. They may be obtained from the above-mentioned N-mono-substituted alkylenediamines, which are also known as technical products, by reaction with the corresponding vicinal lower alkylene oxide in the absence of a catalyst, for example analogous to the description in Houben-Weyl, Methods of Organic Chemistry, 4th Edition, Xl/l, pages 3l l3 14 (I957) or in the U.S. Pat. Spec. No. 2,695,314.

The N-mono-substituted alkylenediamines are preferably compounds of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and'mixtures thereof, and R is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms. These compounds likewise are known compounds.

During the reaction with 3 mols or less than 3 mols of alkylene oxide the corresponding N-(2-hydroxyalkyl)-derivatives are formed by reaction of the 3 amino hydrogen atoms still present on the N-monosubstituted alkylene diamines. The formation of polyalkyleneglycolether chains does not take place in practice under the reaction conditions.

The alkoxylation products utilized as softener components preferably have the formula alkenyl having 12, to l8, carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 12, to 18, carbon atoms, and mixtures wherein R represents a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl, m represents an integer of 2 and 3, and n represents an integer of0 and l, with the proviso that at least one n is l.

The alkoxylation products based on technical starting substancesare essentially products in which the aliphatic residues preferably have straight chains and may be saturated or unsaturated, as for example, lauryl, myristyl, palmityl, palmitoleyl, stearyl, oleyl, arachidyl, behenyl or lignoceryl. Alkoxylation products according to the above definitions in which the aliphatic residues are derived from natural fatty acid mixtures such as are obtained, for example, from coconut oil, tallow, soybean oil, linseed oil, palm oil, rapeseed and beet oil, fish and whale oils and their hydrogenation products, are of special practical importance.

In the washing process of the invention, the duration and liquor ratio depend upon the textile goods, to be washed, and upon the customary conditions in the home, the commercial laundries and the textile industry. Accordingly, the temperature of the washing liquor as well as the concentration of the active substances, contained in them, can be varied in the named ranges.

Thus, in carrying out of the process in drum-washing machines, preferably tenside and softener concentrations of an amount of from 0.4 to 1.2 gm/liter of the tenside component and of from 0.3 to 1.0 gm/liter of the textile softener component are used, and in performing the process in tank-washing machines preferably from 0.2 to 0.5 gm/liter of the tenside component and from 0.1 to 0.4 gm/liter of the textile softener component are used. lt is, however, appropriate in both process variants to apply the tenside component in such amounts that are equal or greater than the amounts of textile softener. If the process of the invention is applied in the temperature range of hot or boiling washing, that is, at temperatures of substantially to 98C, percompounds can be added to the washing liquor, corresponding to an amount of from 0.05 to 0.2 gm/liter of active oxygen. For the so-called easy-care textiles, to be treated at lower temperatures, containing cotton, linen, wool and synthetic fibers, such as polyamide, polyacrylonitrile, polyester or polyurethane fibers, the process is preferably applied in the temperature range of from 30 to 60C.

The process of the invention is suitable for all customary kinds of textiles, particularly for textiles of cellulosic material, such as cotton and linen. With the process, the hardening of the washed goods can be prevented or largely reversed in a simple and, for the applier, convenient way. It is a further advantage of the process that the adsorptivity of the treated textiles is practically not impaired. In addition, the treated washed goods possess effective antistatic properties, and this improvement is found particularly in textiles from synthetic fibers of the named kind.

The invention relates further to a washing composition agent for carrying out the process. The softening washing agent is characterized by a composition in the range of the following formulation:

5 to preferably 12 to 40% by weight of a surface-active combination, consisting of 50 to 80% by weight of a tenside component, consisting substantially of anionic tensides of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type with preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, soaps, including a possibly present soap portion, serving as foam inhibitor and deriving from saturated fatty acids with 20 to 26 carbon atoms and, optionally, of nonionic tensides,

50 to 20% by weight of alkoxylation product of the above definition (softener component) 0 to by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors,

0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers,

95 to 20%, preferably 85 to 35% by weight of builder salts, wherein at least a part of these builders salts are alkaline reacting, and wherein the amount of the alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts amounts preferably to 0.5 to 7 times, and particularly to l to 5 times, the amount of the total surface-active combination, and

0 to 40%, preferably 3 to 25% by weight of other usual washing agent ingredients from the group of soil suspension agents, enzymes, optical brighteners, anti-microbial agents, bleaching agents, perfume, dyes, and water;

whereby the amount of the alkoxylation product serving as textile softener in the total washing agent amounts to 2 to 20%, preferably 5 to by weight.

If the washing agent, according to the invention, contains soap, the quantitative ratio of the anionic tensides of the sulfonate and/or sulfate type to soap is in the range of 30:1 to 1:5, preferably :l to 1:2.

The washing agent may also contain a bleaching component which, including optionally present stabilizers and/or activators, may amount to 2 to 35%, preferably 7 to 30% by weight of the total composition.

Preferably at least 15%, particularly at least 50% of the weight of the builder salts, are sequestering or complex-forming builder salts, particularly alkali metal tripolyphosphates and/or organic sequestering agents.

As indicated, this washing agent is preferably a detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 5 to 80% by weight of a mixture of a surfaceactive component consisting essentially of:

i. from 50 to 80% by weight ofa tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from 0 to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 20 to 50% by weight ofa softener component alkylenediamine of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and R is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkylene oxide;

3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors, and 4. from O to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers;

B. from 20 to 95% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and

C. from 0 to 40% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositions: (a) bleaches and their stabilizers and activators, (b) soil suspension agents, (0) optical brighteners, (d) enzymes, (e) anti-microbial agents and (f) water;

with the proviso that the amount of said alkylene diamine adduct in said detergent composition is from 2 to 20% by weight.

The washing agents, in which the above defined textile softeners are used, may be present as liquids, pastes or powders. Powdery solid washing agents are preferred. Such powdery washing agents can be prepared by various known methods, where a washing agent powder is either admixed to the textile softener or the softening washing agent is obtained by mixing of the ingredients and transforming to a powder. In the simplest case, if the ingredients are present as more or less fine powders or granulates, the softening washing agent can be obtained by mixing of these ingredients.

In most of the technical preparation methods for powdery washing agents, an aqueous slurry of the washing agent ingredients or of part of them is made and transformed to a dry product. By this method hydratable inorganic salts are, as part of the builders, incorporated in such amounts into the aqueous mixture that they bind the total water present as water of crystallization. Such a mixture solidifies without further aid to a solid product. This action can be speeded up by cooling. The solid product is subsequently prepared to the proper particle size range in a conventional manner. If such a mixture is processed by the principle of cold-spraying, a powdery product is immediately obtained.

Water-soluble salts which form solid stable hydrates, are suitable as hydratable inorganic salts, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, etc., which salts are also known as builder salts as they are described below.

According to the technical production method for washing agents preferred at present, the aqueous mixture is dried hot in a known manner which can be done on a hot surface or in a hot air stream. If the softening washing agents are produced by the way of an aqueous mixture of the ingredients, preferably the softening agent, used according to the invention, of the above definition as well as certain other washing agent ingredients, such as non-surface-active foam inhibitors, bleaching agents, enzymes, etc., are not incorporated into the aqueous mixture, but added subsequently to the powdery washing agent. Thereby it may optionally be advantageous, particularly for the sparing incorporation of smaller amounts of substances, to transform such substances by mixing with a part of the builder salts first to a dry initial powdery product which is later admixed to the washing agent powder in a conventional manner.

In the following, the ingredients of the softening washing agents are described more detailed, as arranged by classes of substances.

The tensides contain in the molecular at least one hydrophobic residue of mostly 8 to 26, preferably 10 to 22 and especially 10 to 18 carbon atoms, and least one anionic, nonionic or amphoteric water-solubilizing group. The preferably saturated hydrophobic residue is mostly aliphatic, but possibly also alicyclic in nature. It may be combined directly with the water-solubilizing groups or through intermediate members, such as through benzene rings, carboxylic-acid ester links, carbonamide links or sulfonic-acid amide links as well as through etheror ester-like residues of polyhydric alcohols.

Soaps, which are derived from natural or synthetic fatty acids, possibly also from resin acids or naphthenic acids, are utilizable as anionic detergent substances, especially if these acids have iodine values of not more than 30 and preferably less than 10.

Among the synthetic anionic tensides. the sulfonates and sulfates possess particularly practical importance.

The sulfonates include, for example, alkylbenzenesulfonates with preferably straight-chain C especially C alkyl residues, alkanesulfonates, obtainable from preferably saturated aliphatic C,,.,,,, especially C hydrocarbons by sulfochlorination or sulfoxidation, mixtures of alkenesulfonates, hydroxyalkanesulfonates and alkanedisulfonates, known under the name ofolefinsulfonates, which are formed by acidic or alkaline hydrolysis of the sulfonation products which first result from terminal or non-terminal C,, and preferably C olefins by sulfonation with sulfur trioxide. The sulfonates, utilizable according to the invention, include also salts, preferably alkali metal salts of a-sulfo fatty acids and salts of esters of these acids with mono or polyhydric alcohols with l to 4, and preferably 1 to 2 carbon atoms.

Further useful sulfonates are salts of fatty acid esters of hydroxyethanesulfonic acid or of dihydroxypropanesulfonic acid. the salts of the fatty alcohol esters of lower aliphatic or aromatic sulfomonoor dicarboxylic acids, containing 1 to 8 carbon atoms, the alkylglycerylether sulfonates and the salts of the amide-like condensation products of fatty acids or sulfonic acids with aminoethanesulfonic acid.

Tensides of the sulfate type include fatty alcohol sulfates, especially those derived from coconut fatty alcohols, tallow fatty alcohols or from oleyl alcohol, also sulfatized fatty acid alkylamides or fatty acid monoglycerides and sulfated alkoxylation products of alkylphenols (CK-l5 alkyl). fatty alcohols. fatty acid amides. or fatty acid alkylolamides with 0.5 to 20. preferably l to 8. and particularly 2 to 4 ethylene and/or propyleneglycol residues in the molecule.

As anionic tensides of the carboxylate type, for example, the fatty acid esters or fatty alcohol ethers of hydroxycarboxylic acids, are suitable as well as the amide-like condensation products of fatty acids or sulfonic acids with aminocarboxylic acids, such as glycocoll, sarcosine or with protein hydrolysates.

The anionic tensides are mosstly present as salts of the alkali metals, particularly of sodium, as well as the ammonium salts and salts of lower alkylamines or lower alkylolamines The nonionic tensides, for the sake of simplicity called hereafter Nonionics," include the polyethyleneglycol ethers, obtained by addition of from 4 to I00, preferably 6 to 40 and especially 8 to mols of ethylene oxide to fatty alcohols, alkylphenols, fatty acids, fatty amines, fatty acid amides or sulfonic acid amides, as well as the still water-soluble adducts of propylene oxide or butylene oxide to the above. Further, products known by the trade name Pluronics or Tetronics" belong to the Nonionics. These products are obtained from water-insoluble polypropyleneglycols or from water-insoluble propoxylated lower aliphatic alcohols with l to 8, preferably 3 to 6 carbon atoms, or from water-insoluble propoxylated lower alkylenediamines, by ethoxylation until water-soluble. Finally, the partly water-soluble reaction products of the above-named aliphatic alcohols with propylene oxide, known as Ucon-Fluid" can also be used as Nonionics.

Further useful Nonionics are fatty acid alkylolamides or sulfonic acid alkylolamides, derived, for example, from monoor diethanolamine, from dihydroxypropyl amine or other polyhydroxyalkyl amines, such as the glycamines. Also the oxides of higher tertiary amines with a hydrophobic alkyl residue and two shorter alkyl and/or alkylol residues, with up to 4 carbon atoms each, can be considered as Nonionics.

Amphoteric tensides contain in the molecule both acidic groups, such as carboxyl, sulfonic acid, sulfuric acid half esters, phosphonic acid and phosphoric acid partial ester groups, and also basic groups, such as primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary ammonium groups. Amphoteric compounds with quaternary ammonium groups belong to the type of the betaines. Carboxy, sulfate and sulfonates betaines have a particularly practical interest because of their good compatibility with other tensides.

The foaming power of the tenside can be increased or reduced by combination of suitable tenside types, as well as changed by additions of non-tenside organic substances.

Suitable foam stabilizers, particularly in tensides of the sulfonate or sulfate type, are surface-active carboxy or sulfobetaines, as well as the above-named nonionics of the alkylolamide type. Moreover, fatty alcohols or higher terminal diols have been suggested for this purpose.

A reduced foaming power, that is desirable for the use in washing machines, is often attained by combination of different tenside types, such as of sulfates and/or sulfonates and/or of nonionics, on the one hand, with soaps, on the other hand. In soaps, the foam inhibition increases with the degree of saturation and the number of carbons in the fatty acid residue. Soaps derived from saturated C fatty acids have been proven good as foam inhibitors.

The non-tenside foam inhibitors include N-alkylated aminotriazines, optionally containing chlorine, which are obtained by the reaction of 1 mol of cyanuric acid chloride with 2 to 3 mols of a monoand/or dialkylamine with 6 to 20, preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl radicals. Similarly effective are propoxylated and/or butoxylated aminotriazines, such as, products that are obtained by the addition of from 5 to 10 mols of propylene oxide to 1 mol of melamine and further addition of from l0 to 50 mols of butylene oxide to this propylene-oxide derivative.

Other non-tenside foam inhibitors are waterinsoluble organic compounds, such as paraffms or halogenated paraffins with melting points below C, aliphatic C to C ketones as well as aliphatic carboxylic acid esters which contain in the acid or alcohol residue, optionally also in both of these residues, at least 18 carbon atoms (such as triglyceride or fatty acid/fatty alcohol esters). These compounds can be used for the inhibition of foam, above all in combinations of tensides of the sulfate and/or sulfonate type with soaps.

AS particularly low-foaming nonionics which can be used both alone, particularly in the agents for automatic dishwashing. and also in combination with anionic, amphoteric and nonionic tensides and to reduce the foaming power of better foaming tensides, addition products of propylene oxide to the above-described surface active polyethyleneglycol ethers are suitable as well as the also above-described Pluronic, Tetronic and Ucon-Fluid" types.

Suitable builder salts are weakly acid, neutral and alkaline reacting inorganic or organic salts, especially inorganic complex-foaming substances.

Useful, weakly acid, neutral or alkaline-reacting salts according to the invention are, for example, the bicarbonates, carbonates, borates or silicates of the alkali metals, also mono-, dior trialkali meta] orthophosphates, dior tetraalkali metal pyrophosphates, alkali metal metaphosphates known as sequestering agents, alkali metal sulfates as well as the alkali metal salts of organic non-surface-active sulfonic acids, carboxylic acids and sulfocarboxylic acids, containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. To them belong, for instance, the watersoluble salts of benzene-, tolueneor xylene-sulfonic acid, water-soluble salts of sulfoacetic acid, sulfobenzoic acid or salts of sulfodicarboxylic acids as well as the salts of the acetic acid, lactic acid, citric acid and tartaric acid.

Further usable as builders are the water-soluble salts, such as the alkali metal salts, of higher-molecular weight polycarboxylic acids, particularly polymerizates of maleic acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid, methylenemalonic acid and citraconic acid. Also mixed polymerizates of these acids with each other, or with other polymerizable substances. such as. ethylene. propylene. acrylic acid. methacrylic acid. crotonic acid. 3-butenecarboxylic acid, 3-methyl-3-butenecarboxylic acid as well as with vinyl-methyl ether. vinyl acetate. isobutylene. acrylamide and styrene, are usable.

Also suitable as sequestering builders are the weakly acidic reacting metaphosphates and lkalin'e reacting polyphosphates, particularly-4 tripolyphosphate. These compounds may be replaced completely-or partially by organic sequestering agents.

The organic sequestering agents include, for example nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-hydroxyethyl-ethylenediaminetriaacetic acid, polyalkylenepolyamine-N-polycarboxylic acids and other known organic sequestering agents. Also combinations of different sequestering agents may be used. The other nown sequestering agents include also diand polyphosphonic acids of the following constitutions:

wherein R represents alkyl and R represents alkylene residues with 1 to 8, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms; X and Y represent hydrogen atoms or alkyl radicals with l to 4 carbon atoms and Z represents the groups OH- ,-NH or -NXR. For a practical use, the following compounds are considered above all: methylenediphosphonic acid, l-hydroxyethaned.l-diphosphonic acid, l-aminoethanel l -diphosphonic acid, aminotri-(methylenephosphonic acid), methylaminoor ethylaminodi-(methylenephosphonic acid), and ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid). All these sequestering agents may be present as free acids, or preferably as their alkali metal salts.

The water-soluble salts of practically non-crosslinked polyhydroxycarboxylic acids and polyaldehydocarboxylic acids containing predominantly carbon to carbon bonds in the principal chain, which are built up essentially from ethylene units each with one carboxyl, formyl, hydroxymethyl or hydroxy group, also belong to the higher molecular weight polycarboxylic acids utilizable as builder substances. The polyhydroxycarboxylic acids have a ratio of carboxyl groups to hydroxy groups of H to l5, preferably 2 to 9, and a degree of polymerization of preferably 3 to 600. They may, for example, be prepared by copolymerization of acrolein and acrylic acid in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and subsequent reaction according to Cannizzaro (Published German Pat. DOS No. l,904,94l

The polyaldehydecarboxylic acids have a ratio of the carboxyl to the formyl groups of at least I and a degree of polymerization of preferably 3 to lOO. The polymers,'

if desired, may have terminal hydroxyl groups. They may be prepared, for example, by oxidative polymerization of acrolein with hydrogen peroxide (Published German Pat. DOS No. 1,942,256).

Further, soil suspending agents or greying inhibitors may be contained in the softening washing preparations according to the invention, which hold the dirt loosened from the fiber suspended in the bath and thus prevent greying. Water-soluble colloids of mostly organic nature are suitable for this purpose, for example, the water-soluble salts of polymeric carboxylic acids, glue, gelatin, salts of ether-carboxylic acids or ether-sulfonic acids of starch or cellulose or salts of acid sulfuric acid esters of cellulose or starch. Water-soluble polyamides containing acid groups are also suitable for this purpose. Furthermore, soluble starch preparations and starch products other than those mentioned above can be used, for example, degraded starch, and aldehyde starches. Polyvinylpyrrolidone is also useful.

The constituents of the softening, washing treatment compositions according to the invention, particularly, the builder substances, are usually chosen so that the preparations have a neutral to distinctly alkaline reaction, so that the pH value ofa 1% solution of the preparations mostly lie in the region from 7 to 12. Fine washing compositions usually have a neutral to weakly alkaline reaction (pH value 7 to 9.5), while boiling washing compositions are adjusted to be more strongly alkaline (pH value 9.5 to 12, preferably 10 to ll.5).

Among the compounds serving as bleaching agents, releasing H 0 in water, sodium perborate tetrahydrate perhydrate, percarbamide or melamine-H com- Water-insoluble pounds as well as by H 0 releasing peracidic salts, such as caroates (KHSO perbenzoates or perphthalates.

It is -recommended to incorporate conventional water-soluble and/or water-insoluble stabilizers for percompounds in amounts from 0.25 to l()% by weight. percompound stabilizers, which amount to, for example, from 1 to 8%, preferably 2 to 7% of the weight of the whole preparation, are, for example, the magnesium silicates, mostly obtained by precipitation from aqueous solutions, MgO SiO 4: l to l:4, preferably 221 to l:2 and particularly lzl. In their place, other alkaline earth metal, cadmium or tin silicates of a corresponding composition are usable. Also water containing oxides of tin are suitable as stabilizers. Water-soluble stabilizers which may be present together with the water-insoluble ones, are the organic sequestering agents whose quantity may amount to 0.25 to 5%, preferably 0.5 to 2.5% of the weight of the whole preparation.

The optical brighteners which can be utilized in the compositions are mostly, if not exclusively, derivatives of aminostilbenesulfonic acid, or of diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid, of diarylpyrazolines, of carbostyril, of l,- 2-di-(2-benzoxazolyl)-ethylene or 1,2-di-(2- benzimidazolyl)-ethylene, of benzoxazolyl-thiophene and of the coumarins.

Examples of brighteners from the class of the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid derivatives are com pounds, according to formula I:

In the formula, R and R represent alkoxy, amino, or residues of aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic, primary or secondary amines as well as residues of aminosulfonic acids, where the aliphatic residues present in the above groups, contain preferably 1 to 4 and particularly 2 to 4 carbon atoms, while the heterocyclic ring systems are mostly 5 to 6 membered rings. As aromatic amines the residues of the aniline, of the anthranilic acid or the anilinesulfonic acid are preferred. Brighteners, derived from the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid, are mostly used as cotton brighteners. The following products, derived from formula I, are commercially available, where R represents the residue NHC H and R may represent the following residues: NH --NHCH NHCH CH OH, NHCH C- H OCH NHCH CH CH OCH N(CH )CH C- H OH. N(CH CH OH) morpholino, NHC H --NHC,;H SO H, OCH Some of these brighteners are, in regard to their fiber affinity, regarded as transitional types to the polyamide brighteners, such as the brightener with R -NHC H The compound 4,4- bis-(4-phenyl-l,2,3-triazole-2-yl)-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonic acid belongs also to the cotton brighteners of the diaminostilbenedisulfonic acid type.

Diarylpyrazolines of the formulae ll and Ill belong to the polyamide brighteners.

Ta CH2 R Q In the formula II R and R represent hydrogen, alkyl and aryl, optionally substituted by carboxyl, carbonamide or carboxylic acid ester groups, R, and R represent hydrogen or lower alkyl, Ar and Ar; represent aryl radicals, such as phenyl, diphenyl or naphthyl, which may carry further substituents, such as hydroxy, alkoxy, hydroxyalkyl, amino, alkylamino, acylamino, carboxyl, carboxylic acid esters, sulfonic acid, sulfonamide and sulfone groups or halogen atoms. Commercially available brighteners of this type are derived from the formula III, where the radical R may represent the groups Cl, --SO NH -SO CH=CH and COOCH CH OCH while R mostly represents a chlorine atom. Also the 9-cyanoanthracene belongs to the polyamide brighteners.

The polyamide brighteners further include aliphatically or aromatically substituted aminocoumarins, such as 4-methyl'7-dimethylamino-coumarin or 4-methyl-7- diethylaminocoumarin. Further usable as polyamide brighteners are the compounds l-(2-benzimidazolyl)- 2-(l-hydroxyethyl-2-benzimidazolyl)-ethylene and lethyl-3-phenyl-7-diethylamino-carbostyril. Suitable as brighteners for polyester and polyamide fibers are the compounds 2,5-di-(2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene, 2-(2- benzoxazolyl)-naphtho[2,3-b1-thiophene, and l,2-di- (5-methyl-2-benzoxazolyl)-ethylene.

If the brighteners together with other ingredients of the invention products are present as aqueous solution or paste, and are to be transformed to solids by heat drying, it is recommended to incorporate organic sequestering agents in amounts of at least 0. l%, preferably 0.2 to 1% by weight of the solid products in order to stabilize the brighteners.

the Table l below. In the Table the statement +n E or PO (n numerical values between 1 and 3) indicates the number of mols of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide reacted with the starting substance.

4 Preparation 1 mol of the diamine was dissolved in about twice its amount by weight of diethyleneglycol-dimethylether and then heated with the selected amount of alkylene oxide in an autoclave at 110 to 130C. The reaction was usually ended after 5 hours. The reaction product was obtained, after distilling off the solvent, as a viscous liquid or paste.

TABLE l Product Characteristics N-dodccyll .3-propanediaminc I E0 Light yellow N liquid OH No. 400

N-coconut-alkyll .3- propanediaminc 1 PO Dark yellow N,,-, liquid OH No. 400

Dark yellow N,,, 6.31 liquid N-coconut-alkyll .3- propanediaminc 2 P0 N-tetradecyll .Z-ethanediamine 2 E0 Yellow N, viscous N-hexadecyll .3-pro- Light y ellow N,,-, panediamine 2 E0 paste-like N-tallow-alkyll .3-

Ycllow N,,-, propanediamine 1.5 E0

liquid N-tallow-alkyll ,3-propanediaminc 2 EO Yellow N, 5.50 liquid N-tallow-alkyl-l ,3-propanediamine 2 P0 Gold yellow N,,-,f 5 liquid OH No. 330

N-tallow-alkyll .3-pro- Gold yellow N 4.92 panediamine 3 PO 3 liquid on No.

N-hydrogenated tallowalkyll .3-propanediamine 2 E0 Yellow N,,, 5.0 paste-like GR No. 34(

different effects are used, particularly combinations of proteases and amylases.

The products according to the invention may also contain antimicrobial substances. As such, the 2- hydroxy-2',4,4'-trichloro-diphenylether has been proven good.

The following examples illustrate the practice of the invention without being limitative in any respect.

EXAMPLES Textile softening alkoxylation products utilizable according to the invention were prepared, for example, by the following alkoxylation methods mentioned in In Table l and in Tables ll and Ill below, the terms coconut-alkyl, tallowalkylf' etc., denote the aliphatic hydrocarbon residues with the distribution of the chain lengths and the double bonds of the corresponding natural fats. The terms hydrogenated tallowalkyl, etc. corresponds to a residue hydrogenated practically to saturation (iodine value 3).

The following Examples describe the composition of some preparations according to the invention.

The salt-like constituents contained in the following, such as salt-like surface-active compounds, other organic salts as well as inorganic salts, are present as the sodium salts, unless otherwise stated. The expressions and abbreviations used have the following meanings:

ABS is the salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid with 10 to 15, preferably 1 l to 13, carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, obtained by condensing straight-chain olefins with benzene and sulfonating the alkylbenzene thus formed.

Alkanesulfonate" is a sulfonate obtained from paraffins with 12 to 16 carbon atoms by the sulfoxidation method.

FS-ester sulfonate is the sulfonate in the a-position, obtained from the methyl esters of a hardened tallow fatty acid by sulfonation with $0 Olefin sulfonate is a sulfonate obtained from mixtures ofolefins with 12 to 18 carbon atoms by sulfonating with S and hydrolyzing the sulfonation product with an alkaline liquor, which sulfonate consists substantially of alkenesulfonate and hydroxyalkanesulfonate, but contains in addition small quantities of disulfonates. Each olefin sulfonate-containing preparation was prepared by use of two different types of olefin sulfonate, one was prepared from a mixture of straightchain terminal olefins and the other from a mixture of non-terminal olefins.

KA-sulfate" and TA-sulfate are the salts of sulfated substantially saturated fatty alcohols, prepared by reduction of coconut fatty acid and tallow fatty acid, respectively.

KA-EO-sulfate," TA-EOsulfate" and OA-EO- sulfate are the sulfated products of addition of 2 mols i of ethylene oxide to 1 mol of coconut fatty alcohol, of 3 mols of ethylene oxide to l mol of tallow fatty alcohol 1 KA 9 EO 12 P0 are the addition products of ethylene oxide (E0) or propylene oxide (PO) to technical oleyl alcohol (0A) or coconut alcohol (KA), respectively, where the numbers represent the molar amounts of alkylene oxide added to 1 mol of starting material.

Perborate" is a product containing about active oxygen of the approximate composition NaBO- H O .3H O.

NTA," EDTA" or HEDP" are the salts of the nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or hydroxyethanedisphosphonic acid.

Soap A or B" are soaps prepared from a fatty acid mixture of 9% by weight of C 14% by weight of C and 77% by weight of C (iodine number 3) (Soap A); or 8% by weight of C 32% by weight of C 12% by weight of C and 48% by weight of C (iodine number 4) (Soap B).

CMC" is the salt of carboxymethyl cellulose.

1n the Examples, the non-surface-active foam inhibitors used were, for example, a mixture of about 45% of a di(alkylamino)-monochlorotriazine and about 55% of a N,N',N"-trialkylmelamine. In these triazine derivatives the alkyl residue may be present as mixtures of homologs with 8 to 18 carbon atoms. The monochlorotriazine derivatives or trialkylaminotriazine derivatives can also be used with a similar result. Provided the described washing compositions contain synthetic sulfates or sulfonates together with soap, the other nonsurface-active foam inhibitors mentioned in the description can be used, as for example, paraffin oil or paraffin. It is advisable to incorporate the non-surfaceactive foam inhibitor used separately in the washing composition, for example, dissolved in a suitable organic solvent or sprayed in the molten state on the moving powder by means of a nozzle The quantitative data in all examples refer to the pure substances. These substances may contain impurities from the preparation, such as water, sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, etc. In the Table IV, further below, the mark in the line Na S0,," indicates that slight amounts of sodium sulfate are present as impurities with the anionic tensides. Since such impurities do not impair the effectiveness of the LII single substances in any way, they are not mentioned in the formula. The expression residue" means substantially water and the above-named salts as well as dyes and perfumes.

EXAMPLE 1 The softening effect attainable with the process of the invention was determined as follows:

In a laboratory washing machine (Launderometer) two types of cotton terry cloth, Type A: new fabric, Type B: fabric pre-hardened by washing for 240 hours, were washed at C and a cloth-to-liquor ratio of 1:25, five times for 30 minutes each time. As washing agent each time 7 gm/l of a preparation of the following composition was used:

1. 5.5% by weight of ABS 2. 4.5% by weight of Soap B 3. 2.5% by weight of OA 10 E0 4. 39.0% by weight of sodium tripolyphosphate 5. 2.0% by weight of EDTA 6. 5.0% by weight of Na O.3.3 SiO 7. 1.0% by weight of CMC 8. 18.0% by weight of perborate 9. 9.0% by weight of textile softener lO. residue sodium sulfate and water.

The washing agent, according to the above formula was prepared by mixing of a spray-dried washing powder consisting of the named ingredients (1) to (7) and (10) with the perborate (8) and the textile softener (9). As textile softener, the below listed alkoxylated products of Table 1 above were utilized.

As comparison a washing agent, containing no textile softener, was used in which the amount of textile softener, according to the above formula, was replaced by sodium sulfate. After the washing, the samples were rinsed, centrifuged and dried by hanging. Subsequently, the hand was judged independently by four persons. Marks between:

1 full and very soft hand, and 6 very hard hand were given. From the values after the fifth laundering, the hand improvement resulting from the use of the textile softener was calculated.

The limiting values 1 and 6 of the hand marks were established as follows:

Samples from new cotton terry cloth were washed for 240 hours in the washing machine under boiling wash conditions in water with an addition 2 g/l of tripolyphosphate. After the drying, such a prewashed fabric received the mark 6 (type B). Samples of new cotton terry cloth were desized and treated with a solution of 0.5 gm/l of ditallow-alkyldimethylammonium chloride. This thus-softened fabric received the mark 1. Accordingly, the samples of untreated cotton terry cloth, used in the test (type A), had hand marks in the range from 1.5 to 2.

From the values of the following Table 11 it becomes clear that the use of the alkoxylation products of the above definition as textile softeners practically prevents the hardening of new fabric and softens prehardened fabric considerably, whereby the general properties of use of the washed goods are substantially improved.

TABLE I1 lmprmement in Hand After o No. Softener Used Fabric Washes Hand Compared With Washing 5 Agent Used for Comparison l N-dodecyll ,3-propanediamine 1 E 2 N-coconut-alkyl l .3-propanediamine 1 PO 3 N-coconut-alkyl-l,3-

propanediamine 2 PO 4 N-tetradecyll .2-ethanediamine 2 E0 5 N-hexadecyl-l .3-propanediamine 2 E0 6 N-tallow-alkyl-l ,3-

propanediamine l .5 E0

7 N-tallow-alkyll ,3-

propanediamine 2 EO 8 N-tallow-alkyl-l ,3

propanediamine 2 PO 9 N-tallow-alkyll ,3-

propanediamine 3 PO 10 N-hydrogenated tallowalkyl-L3-propanediamine 2 E0 1 l Comparative washing composition without textile softener EXAMPLE 2 In a domestic drum-washing machine cotton towelling of the Types A and B described in Example I was 7. Residue sodium sulfate and water.

The washing composition according to the above formulation was prepared by mixing a spray-dried washing agent powder consisting of the said constituents l to (5) and (7) with the textile softener (6). The softeners of Table l were used as the textile softeners.

From the numerical values in the following Table lll it follows that by the use according to the invention of the textile softening alkoxylation products under the conditions of the fine washing process, practically no hardening occurred with new fabric and a distinct softening effect on the hardened fabric samples was obtained.

TABLE III lmpmvemcnt in Washing Composition Hand Hand Compared According to Example Type After With Washing 2 With Textile of Five Agents Used for No. Softener Used Fabric Washes Comparison 1 N-coconut-alkyll 3- A l .5 0.8 propanediamine 1 PO B 4.7 L3

2 N-tallow-alkyl-l-Il- A 1.5 0.8 propanediamine 1.5 EO B 4.6 1.4

3 N-tallow-alkyl-LS- A L4 0.9 propanediamine 2 PO B 4.9 1.1

4 Comparative washing A 2.3

composition without 8 6.0 textile softener 4. 4.0% by weight of Na O.3.3 SiO 5. 1.0% by weight of CMC 6. 13.0% by weight of textile softener Other types of softening washing compositions utilizing the alkoxylated products of the invention are described in Table IV.

TABLElV /r Weight ofConstitucnts in the Preparation According to Example:

Constituents of phosphate in amounts of 7 to 15% by weight:

a protease with 125,000 LVE/gm an amylase with 75,000 SKBE/gm a lipase with l0,000 lE gm The preceding specific embodiments are illustrative of the practice of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that other expedients known to those skilled in the art or disclosed herein may be employed without departing frotn the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A one-step process for the washing and softening of textiles which consists essentially of immersing soiled textiles in an aqueous softening washing liquor bath at temperatures of from 20 to 100C for a time sufficient to clean and soften said textiles and recovering said cleaned and softened textiles, said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath containing 1. from 0.2 to 1.5 gm/liter of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from to 80% by weight of said tenside component of soaps and the Preparation 3 4 5 o X ABS 4.0 Alkancsulfunatc 5 5 7.5

Fs-estcrsulfonutc 2.5 Olclinsulfonntc 5 Q 8.0 KA-sulfntc 2.0 2.0 TA-sulfutc Z 5 KA-EO-sulfatc 2.0 TA-Eo'sulfutc .5 OA-EO-sull'atc 1.5 t Soup A 3.5 4 2 3 8 Soap B 4.0 OA 5 EO 2.

OA 10 E0 3.0 3.0 KA E0 3 5 KA+9EO+l2PO 2.5 Non-surfacc-activc foam inhibitor 0.5 0.8 0.2 0.3 Textile softener 10.0 10.0 8 0 7.5 100 10.0 NJL-SO; 20.5 22 5 l8.0 I80 N 1, t 1 SiO. t s 4.0 4.5 5.0 M1 150... as s 35s 40 s 20 5 35.0 Nu P- .O 25.5 Pcrborati: 22.3 25,5 M siQ. 1.2 1.5 HEDP 8 5 NTA 0 3 3.0 2.5 EDTA 0.2 3.5 CMC l 2 l 3 L5 1.8 1.2 Brightencr 0 22 0.35 0 3 0.4 0.3 0.25 Residue In the Examples 3 to 8 of Table IV the alkoxylation from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component products mentioned in Table I can be incorporated as of non-ionic surface-active compounds; textile softeners. When washing with the washing com- 2. from 0.05 to 1.2 gm/liter of a softener component positions of Table IV in the Launderometer or in the alkylenediamine of the formula usual domestic and laundry washing machines, good R NH R, NH washing and softening actions can be obtained under 2 fine and boiling washing conditions. wherein R is a member selected from the group As brighteners. CORD" brighteners. Polyamide ghtconsisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, aleners, polyester brighteners and their combination are kenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl havused, depending upon the application use of the softening 8 to 24 carbon atoms and R is alkylene having ing washing agents. 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from I to 3 If preparations with a content of enzymes should be mols of a vicinal lower alkyleneoxide; prepared, commercial products are used that, in sofar 3. from 0.2 to 6.0 gm/liter of at least one convenas solid enzyme concentrates are used, are adjusted by tional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinethe producer to the following activities by addition of r acting builder salts are present whereby the H inorganic salts, mostly sodium sulfate or sodium polyof said washing liquor bath is 7 or over,

with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component alkylenediamine adduct.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein R has from l2 to l8 carbon atoms.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats and oils and their hydrogenation products.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said alkylenediamine softener component has the formula wherein R represents a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, R, represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl, m represents an integer of 2 and 3, and n represents an integer of0 and l, with the proviso that at least one n is l.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said tenside component l contains said non-ionic surface-active compounds.

6. The process of claim 1 for use in drum washing machines wherein said aqueous, softening washing 1i quor bath contains from 0.4 to 1.2 gm/liter of said tenside component l and from 0.3 to 1.0 gm/liter of said softener component (2) with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.

7. The process of claim 1 for use in tank washing machines wherein said aqueous softening washing liquor bath contains from 0.2 to 0.5 gm/liter of said tenside component l and from 0.1 to 0.4 gm/liter of said softener component (2) with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N- coconut-alkyl-l ,3-propanediamine and 1 mol of propylene oxide.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from l mol of N- tallow-alkyl-l ,3-propanediamine and 1.5 mols of ethylene oxide.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-hydrogenated tallow-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 2 mols of ethylene oxide.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 30 to 70C.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 75 to 98C and said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath has a further content of from 0.05 to 0.2'gm/liter of active oxygen in the form of a percompound.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein said component (3) includes from 0.04 to 6.0 gm/liter of a sequestering builder salt.

14. A detergent composition containing textile softeners consisting essentially of:

A. from 5 to 80% by weight ofa mixture ofa surfaceactive component consisting essentially of:

1. from 50 to 80% by weight of a tenside component consisting of from 20 to 100% by weight of said tenside component of anionic surface-active sulfonates and sulfates with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the hydrophobic moiety, from 0 to 80% by weight of said tenside components of soaps, at least some of said soaps having from 20 to 26 carbon atoms, and from 0 to 45% by weight of said tenside component of non-ionic surface-active compounds;

2. from 20 to 50% by weight of a softener component alkylenediamine of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and R is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkyleneoxide;

3. from 0 to by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and

4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers;

B. from to 95% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkalinereacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and

C. from 0 to 40% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositions:

a. bleaches and their stabilizers and activators,

b. soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners,

d. enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water; with the proviso that the amount of said alkoxylated alkylenediamine in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.

15. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said component (A) is present in an amount of from 12 to 40% by weight, said component (B) is present in an amount of from 35 to by weight and said component (C) is present in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight, and the amount of said alkoxylated alkylenediamine in said detergent composition is from 5 to 15% by weight.

16. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said component (C) includes from 2 to 35% by weight of said detergent composition of bleaches and their stabilizers and activators.

17. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

18. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats.

19. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said alkylenediamine softener component has the forwherein R represents a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, R represents a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl, m represents an integer of 2 and 3, and n represents an integer of0 and l, with the proviso that at least one n is 1.

20. The detergent compositionof claim 14 wherein said tenside component 1 contains said non-ionic surface-active compounds.

21. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-coconut-alkyl-l ,2-propanediamine and 1 mol of propylene oxide.

22. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-tallow-alkyl-l,3-propanediamine and 1.5 mols of ethylene oxide.

23. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-hydrogenated tallow-alkyl-1,3-

propanediamine and 2 mols of ethylene oxide. 

1. A ONE-STEP PROCESS FOR THE WASHINAND SOFTENING OF TEXTILES WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF IMMERSING SOILED TEXTILES IN AN AQUEOUS SOFTENING WASHING LIQUOR BATH AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM 20* TO 100*C FOR TIME SUFFICIENT TO CLEAN AND SOFTEN SAID TEXTILES AND RECOVERING SAID CLEANED AND SOFTENED TEXTILES, SAID AQUEOUS SOFTENING WASHING LIQUOR BATH CONTAINING
 1. FROM 50 TO 80% BY WEIGHT OF A TENSIDE COPOENNT CONSISTING OF FROM 20 TO 100% BY WEIGHF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF ANIONIC SURFACE ACTIVE SULFONATES AND SULFATES WITH FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS IN THE HYDROPHOBIC MOIETY FROM 0 TO 80% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENTS OF SOAPS AT LEAST SOME OF SAID SOAPS HAVING FROM 20 TO 26 CARBON ATOMS AND FROM 0 TO 45% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF NON-IONIC SURFACEACTIVE COMPOUNDS,
 1. FROM 0.2 TO 1.5 GM/LITER OF A TENSIDE COMPONENT CONSISTING OF FROM 20 TO 100% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF ANIONIC SURFACE ACTIVE SULFONATES AND SULFATES WITH FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS IN THE HYDROPHOBIC MOIETY FROM 0 TO 80% BY WWEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF SOAPS AND FROM 0 TO 45% BY WEIGHT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT OF NON-IONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE COMPOUNDS
 2. from 20 to 50% by weight of a softener component alkylenediamine of the formula R - NH - R'' - NH2 wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, and R'' is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkyleneoxide;
 2. FROM 20 TO 50% BY WEIGHT OF A SOFTENER COMPONENT ALKYLENEDIAMINE OF THE FORMULA
 2. from 0.05 to 1.2 gm/liter of a softener component alkylenediamine of the formula R - NH - R'' - NH2 wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkenyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms, alkadienyl having 8 to 24 carbon atoms and R'' is alkylene having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, adducted with from 1 to 3 mols of a vicinal lower alkyleneoxide;
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.
 2. FROM 0.05 TO 1.8 GM/LITER OF A SOFTENER COMPONENT ALKYLENEDIAMINE OF THE FORMULA
 3. The process of claim 1 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats and oils and their hydrogenation products.
 3. from 0.2 to 6.0 gm/liter of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of said washing liquor bath is 7 or over, with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component alkylenediamine adduct.
 3. FROM 0 TO 10% BY WEIGHTOF NON-SURFACE ACTIVE FOAM INHIBITORS AND
 3. FROM 0.2 TO 6.0 GM/LITER OF AT LEAST ONE CONVENTIONAL BUILDER SALT WHEREIN SUFFICIENT ALKALINE-REACTING BUILDER SALTS ARE PRESENT WHEREBY THE PH OF SAID WASHING LIQUOR BATH IS 7 OR OVER, WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE AMOUNT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT IS AT LEAST AS LARGE AS THE AMOUNT OF SAID SOFTENER COMPONENT ALKYLENEDIAMINE ADDUCT,
 3. from 0 to 10% by weight of non-surface-active foam inhibitors; and
 4. from 0 to 10% by weight of foam stabilizers; B. from 20 to 95% by weight of at least one conventional builder salt wherein sufficient alkaline-reacting builder salts are present whereby the pH of a 1% solution of said detergent composition is 7 or over and wherein the amount of alkaline to neutral-reacting builder salts Is from 0.5 to 7 times the amount of said tenside component; and C. from 0 to 40% by weight of any one of the following customary components of detergent compositions: a. bleaches and their stabilizers and activators, b. soil suspension agents, (c) optical brighteners, d. enzymes, (e) antimicrobial agents, and (f) water; with the proviso that the amount of said alkoxylated alkylenediamine in said detergent compositions is from 2 to 20% by weight.
 4. FROM 0 TO 10% BY WEIGHT OF FOAM STABILIZERS B. FROM 20 TO 9K% BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE CONVENTIONAL BUILDER SALT WHEREIN SUFFICIENT ALKALINE-REACTING BUILDER SALTS ARE PRESENT WHEREBY THE PH OF A 1% SOLUTION OF SAID DETERGENT COMPOSITION IS 7 OR OVER AND WHEREIN THE AMOUNT OF ALKALINE OT NEUTRAL BUILDER SALTS IS FROM 0.5 TO 7 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF SAID TENSIDE COMPONENT AND C. FROM 0 TO 40% BY WEIGHT OF ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CUSTOMARY COMPONENT OF DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS: A. BLEACHES AND THEIR STABILIZERS AND ACTIVATORS, B. SOIL SUSPENSION AGENT (C) OPTICAL BRIGHTENERS, D. ENZYMES (E) ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT AND (F) WATERS WITH THE PROVISO THAT THE AMOUNT OF SAID ALKOXYLATED ALKYLENEDIAMINE IN SAID DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS IS FROM 2 TO 20% BY WEIGHT.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein said alkylenediamine softener component has the formula
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein said tenside component (1) contains said non-ionic surface-active compounds.
 6. The process of claim 1 for use in drum washing machines wherein said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath contains from 0.4 to 1.2 gm/liter of said tenside component (1) and from 0.3 to 1.0 gm/liter of said softener component (2) with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.
 7. The process of claim 1 for use in tank washing machines wherein said aqueous softening washing liquor bath contains from 0.2 to 0.5 gm/liter of said tenside component (1) and from 0.1 to 0.4 gm/liter of said softener component (2) with the proviso that the amount of said tenside component is at least as large as the amount of said softener component.
 8. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-coconut-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 1 mol of propylene oxide.
 9. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-tallow-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 1.5 mols of ethylene oxide.
 10. The process of claim 1 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-hydrogenated tallow-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 2 mols of ethylene oxide.
 11. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 30* to 70*C.
 12. The process of claim 1 wherein said temperature is substantially from 75* to 98*C and said aqueous, softening washing liquor bath has a further content of from 0.05 to 0.2 gm/liter of active oxygen in the form of a percompound.
 13. The process of claim 1 wherein said component (3) includes from 0.04 to 6.0 gm/liter of a sequestering builder salt.
 14. A DETERGENCOMPOSITION CONTAINING TEXTILE SOFTENERS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: A. FROM 5 TO 80% BY WEIGHT OF A MIXTURE OF A SURFACE-ACTIVE COMPONENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF:
 15. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said component (A) is present in an amount of from 12 to 40% by weight, said component (B) is present in an amount of from 35 to 85% by weight and said component (C) is present in an amount of from 3 to 25% by weight, and the amount of said alkoxylated alkylenediamine in said detergent composition is from 5 to 15% by weight.
 16. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said component (C) includes from 2 to 35% by weight of said detergent composition of bleaches and their stabilizers and activators.
 17. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein R has from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.
 18. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein R is derived from fatty acid mixtures of natural fats.
 19. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said alkylenediamine softener component has the formula
 20. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said tenside component (1) contains said non-ionic surface-active compounds.
 21. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-coconut-alkyl-1,2-propanediamine and 1 mol of propylene oxide.
 22. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-tallow-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 1.5 mols of ethylene oxide.
 23. The detergent composition of claim 14 wherein said softener component (2) is the reaction product from 1 mol of N-hydrogenated tallow-alkyl-1,3-propanediamine and 2 mols of ethylene oxide. 